As is known, the balancing of vehicle wheels includes identifying at least a plane which is perpendicular to the wheel axis, called the balancing plane, at which the weights will be applied on the wheel rim.
In particular, in order to perform static wheel balancing it is sufficient to identify one balancing plane alone, while in order to perform a dynamic balancing two distinct balancing planes must be identified, reciprocally distanced along the wheel axis.
An electronic calculator, connected to a measuring group belonging to the balancing machine, detects the wheel imbalance and calculates the entity of the weights according to the position of the balancing planes, as well as the angular position of the weights in the balancing planes themselves.
The identification of the balancing planes is generally done by measuring some geometrical parameters which are characteristic of the wheel hub to be balanced, after the wheel has been mounted on the balancing machine.
The geometric parameters are typically the hub diameter at each balancing plane and the distance of each balancing plane from a fixed reference plane of the balancing machine.
Usually these measurements are performed by feelers on the balancing machine, which are positioned manually by the operative according to the points on the hub which are comprised in the balancing plane in which he wishes to locate the weights.
The displacement of the feeler organs from a predetermined initial position is measured by special electronic systems which transmit the performed measurement to the electronic calculator which then processes the data.
Recent research in the field of wheel balancers has been especially directed at obtaining maximum automation of the balancing processes, so as to optimise the results and reduce error as well as manual intervention on the part of the operatives.
In this context, balancing machines have been devised which can make a totally automatic reading of the optimal balancing planes at which the weights should be applied on the rims.
These balancing machines are generally provided with special pick-up devices which are connected to the electronic calculator and can perform a scan of the hub profile, and acquire for each point thereon the geometric parameters required for the balancing operation.
The pick-up devices are generally aimed at detecting the spatial position of the points on the rim without direct contact with the points themselves, such as for example optical devices for measuring distances.
In this way, on the basis of the rim profile and other imbalances of the wheel measured by the measuring group, the electronic calculator is able automatically to identify the optimal balancing planes, without any need for feelers and without any direct intervention on the part of the operative.
Clearly these balancing machines are very expensive and complicated, and they do not always respond to market demand, where the need to have greater automation is generally accompanied by a need to have accessible prices.
Further, the scanning of the rim profile requires a relatively long time, which has an overall effect of slowing down the wheel balancing process.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks in the prior art, by making available a method and a machine for vehicle wheel balancing, in which the determining of the balancing planes can be done semi-automatically, reducing the operative's manual contribution and improving the precision of the balancing, though remaining within the ambit of a simple, rational and inexpensive solution.